Heartless
by Airrah11
Summary: "Sometimes I hate the life I made. Everything's wrong every time, pushing on I can't escape, everything that comes my way is haunting me taking its sweet time." (Narcissistic Cannibal- Korn) FemZero, PurebloodZero, HioZero, KaZe, IchiruxZero, Yume. INSPIRED by The Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (Not based). If ya'll want smut, tell me and I can change the rating.
1. Act One: The Fool, Chapter One

**A/N: I may have promised to not start a new VK fanfic till I finished another but apparently I break promises to myself as often as I do about uploading regularly lmao. Anyway, this is Heartless, and it is roughly inspired a YA Fantasy novel I recently read called Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao. It is INSPIRED, not based on in any way. I highly recommend the book, it was fantastic and if you regularly enjoy east asian fairy tale retellings you'll enjoy it as it is an east asian retelling of the evil queen myth from Snow White. But anyway, Heartless- I have almost twenty chapters already outlined, so I have an idea as to what is going on in this story. But to be honest, I think this is a story best experienced with very little synopsis revealed. If you have any questions, either PM me or leave them in the reviews under usernames and I'll get back to you ASAP. I plan on marathon writing this story and focusing on it until either I get burned out on it or have fully written what I had outlined. As for my other VK stories, I will be uploading the last chapter I have prewritten of The World soon, and I will be outlining my other stories more so I have something to write after I get burned out on this one. I will probably hop to writing The Tower again after this one because I have some chapters already outlined, unless ya'll really want me to do another story. Anyway, sorry for the long A/N! Enjoy :)**

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Zero took slow even breaths as she sensed Kuran draw closer- the moon rising out from the horizon's edge as day shifted to night in full and the vampires were released from the Night Dorm to stretch their legs across the Academy grounds without fear of encountering a stray Day Class student- no, all of their human peers would be either in bed for the night or going out for a fun night in the neighboring town- Kurosu City.

Not her though- she would be stuck on Academy grounds to keep the vampires in as much line as possible.

A part of her scoffed at that- as if she cared what the vampires chose to do!

In truth, she didn't give a shit if the Night Class slaughtered the Day Class or vice versa- but she reminded herself sternly that while she didn't have to care in actuality, she had to at least _appear_ like she cared about maintaining vampire/human relations at the school.

Well, not for very much longer- but she couldn't allow herself to become lax, she couldn't allow herself to reveal her cards before she laid down her play in full at the perfect moment.

No, she couldn't ruin what had been years in the making on all of their parts.

Kuran's, Okaa-san's,, Otou-san's, Ichiru's….

She had a duty to her family to do her best- no, to do _better._.

She would not fail, she refused to.

 _But you have been- you have been a hopeless cause every time Kuran so much as steps within ten yards of you._

Zero shook her head, as if to disagree, long silver hair dancing in the breeze briefly as the scent of spiced apples drew nearer and nearer.

 _I will not fail. I will not fail. I will not fail…._

She had been sinking in his presence more and more as time passed and the years droned on at the Academy. At first she had wanted to hate him- had tried to convince herself by putting on an act of it. One that she had to continue to this day even though she had long ago realized that she had never hated Kuran Kaname. She had craved to- had been repulsed by his arrogance, his _gall_ to behave as if he were a god made physical.

But that had changed as she would watch him from afar- how he cared for sweet, delicate Yuki- how he had made it a point to never disappoint the petite brunette who everyone could tell adored him as her savior.

Zero hadn't realized it until the beginning of the term but she wanted him to look at _her_ that way. She wanted more than that in all honesty- she wanted him to be her savior- she wanted him to take her away from the awful legacy she had bourne in hiding since birth.

A legacy which grew heavier as the days wore on and her birthday drew closer- the day she would begin to awaken- when her father's power would take firm hold of her soul and wretch it away from the light she had tried so hard to cling to.

Her mother's legacy would also be awakened soon, though probably not until winter began to chill the air.

 _That_ legacy she did not mind- no, she craved that legacy, the one that would make her even with the one she had begun to love.

She whipped around to face him as she felt his fingertip glance across her cheek- a caress too sweet, too kind, to have truly been meant for her.

She had the sneaking suspicion he had been playing with her intentionally, had been toying with her emotions for some ulterior motive.

She had kept up the act as best she could but Zero had always known that he could see beyond what she chose to reveal, could see further into her than anyone else had dared and so they had fallen into a amicable relationship where harsh barbs were exchanged more so than any pleasantry, where they both knew the other was hiding things, but not the true extent of what lay hidden beneath their unknowing treads.

"Kuran," She growled in warning and he cocked a brow at her.

" _Kiryu…_ " He mocked, his tone as sharp as any hunter's blade

His eyes were dark tonight, the warmth of the deeper red wine shade obscured by a never ending chasm of dark chocolate.

Kaname was without the Night Class uniform tonight- instead wearing a tailored black coat and crimson button up, the collar open to reveal smooth untouched skin along the column of his throat. His pants were finely pressed- a seamless black to match the coat it would seem- his hair was tamed back out of his eyes and she cocked a brow in return.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yes. Some of us have actual responsibilities to attend to."

His cutting words only served to make her roll her eyes- no doubt they were intended to mock her being abandoned by her hunter brethren.

Jokes on him, she wasn't even a hunter technically. Nor was she technically a Kiryu, but that thought would not be permitted to be spoken until the true reveal was made.

He walked forward, forcing her back against a tree, course bark pressing into her back leaving unforgiving imprints.

"But we both know why I'm putting them off, don't we, Zero?"

She frowned at him and he craned his neck down to run his nose along her throat, inhaling her scent abruptly and drawing a gasp from her before she pushed him away.

"No." She said and he chuckled.

"Oh, so are we going to pretend that the last time you fed from me you had to be torn away? Are we going to pretend that you still hate my blood? Are you really going to force me to go back to shoving it down your throat?"

She frowned once more and crossed her arms defensively.

He chuckled and shrugged off his coat and loosened his collar a bit more, running a finger down his collar to tempt her.

It _was_ tempting and that was part of the reason she loved forcing him to imposition her. She bit her lip to steel herself against flying forward and sinking her fangs into his neck- she hated how much she craved his blood- no, she hated how much she craved _him_.

He watched her with a predatory gleam, his eyes never abandoning her lithe form as he cut into his neck with a sharp nail, his lips oh so slightly upturned in a smirk.

She forced herself to pretend for a few moments longer if only to frustrate him.

She always did this- she _needed_ it. She needed him frustrated and tempting because Zero was a female who craved the rough, the difficult, the _primal_. She loved feeling him claw into her and seize her like he either wanted to fuck her or kill her and she loved it because in those moments- in those moments, she could feel like she was his and he was hers and that he wanted _her_ of all people.

It was toxic, it was destructive, but she couldn't stop herself from craving it all.

In the blink of an eye she had crossed the distance, her violet eyes turned a violent crimson, her canines sharpened to clean points, her slim but toned form leaping into his arms and forcing him to grip forcefully into her thighs as she sliced into his neck with a practiced dexterity.

Rich, untainted power flooded her senses- so full bodied and so overwhelming she could scarcely tell how long she had been trying her best to devour him whole.

Slowly her awareness crept back in and she could begin to taste anything other than that strength that naturally flooded through him.

Warm spiced apples, creamy milk and dark cacao- she felt herself purr at the onslaught of flavor, clenching her fists into his silk shirt with a moan.

And then it was gone- Kuran tore her away and pushed her back to her feet, her thighs bloody from where his claws had torn into her skin like razor blades, the crimson staining the hem of her plain grey dress dark.

Zero brought a hand to her mouth, glancing away from him as she touched her fingertips to her lips almost unconsciously.

He made no sound as he quickly wiped his blood away with a hankerchief, the clean white fabric left tainted before being quickly burned away by his touch.

Kuran buttoned his collar and shrugged his coat back on, his eyes coming to rest on her and garnering her own glance back at him.

He scoffed, his frustration present but also a hint of amusement coloring his tone.

"Why?" She asked.

She wanted to know why he fed her, wanted to hear him express his reasoning even though she knew it would hurt her immensely- even though she knew it would crush part of what remained of her child-like hope that had yet to fully abandon her even after everything that had happened to her in her short life.

He did not spare her, did not soften his words as he replied back exactly what she knew to be true.

"You protect Yuki and Yuki is all that matters to me."

She glanced away and blew out a harsh breath, turning on her heel and leaving him alone in the forest along the Academy boundary.

His eyes had never looked so dark, so flat, so deadly as they had in that moment and Zero forced herself to push forward until she reached the relative safety of the stables, where no other student would willingly wander, tucking herself into White Lily's keep before she allowed the few tears she had to escape without sound.

 _I will not fail. I will not fail. I will not fail…_

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 _ **A/N: How did you enjoy the first chapter? What are your feelings on this Zero? Any predictions? Vague feelings? Hopes for this story? Is there anything you really want to see in this story? Tell me below! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	2. Act One: The Fool, Chapter Two

_**A/N: Here is the second chapter for ya'll, a fair length but the next chapter will be about 2.5K, so look forward to that. Thank you to those who have already replied, you would not believe how helpful it is motivation wise! Enjoy :)**_

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Zero slowly closed her textbook as class came to a close for the day and she would be released for a brief break before she would have to report to the Night Dorm's gates for prefect duty. Yuki would be stuck in class though- she had been caught sleeping in class again, something that also commonly happened to Zero, but Zero had developed an ability to answer any question the teacher could throw at her by throwing herself into her studies on the nights she couldn't seem to sleep for the life of her.

So that meant she was almost always at least a month ahead of her class in each subject and so she was left alone by her annoyed teachers whenever she slept in class- not that she would serve a detention even if she received one.

She had a history of ditching them- more than a habit really, as she did it every time she was assigned one. Cross had grown to accept it and so she could suppose that was one blessing from being the ward of the ex-hunter headmaster.

She picked up her books and tucked them into her bag, not looking down to Yuki's seat to see the petite brunette complain and whine to Yori as if that would solve her plight.

Zero rolled her eyes.

It was not as if she was unsympathetic to Yuki- she did feel sorry for how the girl knew next to nothing about her past, but that pity would be cut short by the thought that Yuki chose to base her life around that lack of memory- she allowed it to cut into everything she was and bring her down, preventing her from truly living in the present.

She had offered to tutor her even- but that had not turned out well to say the least.

The two of them may be fond of one another, but they could hardly be called sisterly- Yuki annoyed the ever loving fuck out of her and Zero was not nearly as patient as Yuki needed for a mentor or role model of any kind.

Didn't keep the prat from wanting that bond from her though.

Yuki desperately wanted Zero to be her elder sister and Zero had a bad habit of indulging her.

She may be cruel and unforgiving to most but for some reason she had a soft spot a mile long for the two people she could consider her younger siblings.

Ichiru had always garnered that response, even when they were toddlers Zero was prone to getting caught comforting him when he got to be too cold or bigger kids mocked them for being so strange looking.

Yuki was nothing like Ichiru- but still Zero was helpless when it came to her puppy dog eyes and the way her hands would be near white as she squeezed them together whenever she had something stupid to ask of Zero.

"Zero-nee!" Yuki brightened as Zero passed their step on the way down to the door.

"Stay with me?" The brunette asked and Zero shook her head with a soft sigh.

"I have to train, Yuki. Not today."

Yuki pouted and Zero cast her a small sad smile as if to say sorry before heading for her room in the Headmaster's house where she stored her workout clothes- no way she would use the Dorms for that, her clothes would already be nasty by laundry day on Sunday.

With a rough sigh she tossed her bag down on the desk chair and changed out of her uniform and into marbled grey leggings and a plain grey workout bra and old oversized red shirt.

She left Bloody Rose in her side table, safely tucked away and out of sight, choosing to arm herself with two daggers that she kept tucked into holsters beneath her shirt.

They were anti-vampire blades, but she wasn't worried about coming across vampires- the Night Class wouldn't be released for a few hours yet and level Es tended to stick to the town due to the amount of high powered hunter wards on the grounds and the presence of a pureblood. It usually deterred most trouble, but Zero had always kept weapons on her and if she was quiet, and didn't attract the attention of any stray Day Class students (as they were allowed to wander the grounds during the day), she might even get the chance to train with the blades a bit beside her normal exercise.

So she pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and then from that into a strict bun as she left the house to begin.

She forced herself to stretch for a while before beginning her run over the grounds, first on paths where she ran into a few students and then into the brush and forest for a higher difficulty. In those silent moments she focused on her breathing and then on the tread of her feet, shifting her feet till she was as close to silent as any living being could get, stress and restless thoughts dispersing from her anxious mind as she ran without a care, only slowing when her watch beeped, signaling for her to switch to another exercise.

She stretched out a bit more as she made her decision on what to shift to- she could go to the school and head to the gym where the coach had given her free access to the weights and few lifting machines, but she did that yesterday. She could head for the house and see about getting Cross to train with her- Kaien didn't mind partnering with her on occasion…

She bit her lip in thought before heading for the school building at a jog, navigating the halls to the west corridor where the gym sat undisturbed (as it was hated by most of the students and dreaded by most others).

"Hey Kiryu, I'm closing up for the night." Coach Akiyama greeted, throwing her the keys.

"You know what to do when you're done."

Zero nodded with a smile of thanks, waving the older woman away- she had been married to a hunter when she was younger but after the divorce had signed up the Academy position to spite her ex-husband- she didn't work with the Night Class, but _he_ didn't need to know that.

Zero unlocked the doors and made for the radio first, throwing on one of the CDs Coach Akiyama played to get people willing to work out.

It was nice- the Coach had good taste- and Zero lost herself for another hour as she spent time on building her strength, also building up a sweat in the process.

Before she knew it, her watch was beeping to warn her of impending switchover and with an annoyed sigh Zero shut off the machines and radio and locked back up, passing the keys to the gym to the head custodian as she ran back out and toward the house once more to shower and dress in her uniform again.

She felt gross but satisfied and she knew it would be one of the rare days she didn't feel the need to kill both classes.

But still, she took her time cleaning up, hesitant to throw even a slice of that peace away.

Her uniform was a bit wrinkled and her collar was as always, left unbuttoned and Bloody Rose was once again where it needed to be in her shoulder holster beneath her jacket.

She was ready to face the world- but it wasn't as if she _wanted_ to.

She ran to the gates to see Yuki nearly collapsing under the pressure of the onslaught of Day Class girls, all screeching into the void about getting to see their dear idols and how much they wanted their idols _now_.

Zero sighed, releasing her aura to cloud and sweep over the overexcited girls- a cloud of fear infused with bitter regret that forced the very human Day Class to fall back in terror.

If you were wondering what her secret had been to keep them all in line virtually on their own- that was it. A trick she had been taught by her mother- to cast out one's aura and overwhelm others- that had been improved even further by her father's tip of "make them piss themselves with fear, daughter mine. Make them regret the day they were born".

Her father was a cruel being, but Zero quite liked that about him sometimes (hating it ninety percent of the rest of the time).

Yuki climbed back to her feet and grinned at her in thanks, standing guard in front of her line even though Zero was fairly certain that the rowdy girls wouldn't dare take even a step closer to the path than they had fallen back to.

Zero stood straight on her side, arms crossed as they awaited the gates opening.

They fell open a moment later, the Night Class flowing out and onto the path, Kaname leading them followed by Seiren and Ichijo until he reached Yuki, nodding to Ichijo to lead the rest of them on.

Zero did not stray from her side of the line, ghosting her gaze over the rest of the Night Class as they passed her by her position at the gates, only allowing herself to glance at Kuran and Yuki when the last of his lackies had their back to her.

He was speaking softly to her, a faint smile playing along the lines of his lips in amusement at the petite girl's bumbling show of admiration.

Yuki was embarrassing herself yet again, and no doubt garnering her even more enemies among the Day Class as she fell head over heels to endear herself to him.

 _Pathetic_.

Zero stilled at the single word that raced through her mind- did she really think that about Yuki? That she was pathetic? Yuki was a fool, yes- no doubt about it, even. But pathetic?

She narrowed her violet eyes on the girl, critical of her.

 _She is a girl who doesn't know that he'll never be hers. No, she knows. But she still acts the same way anyway. She is weak- delicate- maybe even feeble. He can never be hers because she is a human- but one day he can be mine._

Zero blinked as she came back to herself, falling back a step in surprise at the animosity that lay deep seated in her mind.

Was she really so catty? Was she really so bitchy?

She watched the two for a moment longer- how he only had eyes for the pathetic girl before him- how he never once glanced away from her child-like form. He had never looked at the girls at the Academy who looked womanly- not Souen, nor any Day Class students and certainly not Zero.

Zero frowned at the pair as she felt the Day Class begin to disperse around her.

Jealousy had been sparked at the sight of them together before- but this bitter envy was not the emotion to be destroyed immediately upon discovery. No thought that came to mind could invalidate it, and Zero knew it was settling itself firmly in her gut for the long run this time.

It was a twisted, gnarled, ungainly beast and it made her feel weighed down with a fury that she knew would never be quelled by her fondness of Yuki alone.

No, Zero doubted this feeling could be quelled at all.

But still, she forced herself to paste on a non committal look her features and turned on her heel as the two continued to speak to one another on the path.

For the second time that week she wiped at her cheeks to try to dissuade the warm tears from falling again.

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 _ **A/N: How did you like the chapter? I wanted to include a training/workout scene of sorts because it seems like training is never touched on in fanfics in general even though hunters would have to be religious about it all to be able to keep up the strength to fight vampires. I might do more in the future- except they will be weapons focused as I know the working out shit is kinda boring. Anyway- my questions for ya'll this chapter:** How do you feel about this Zero? How do you think Zero's relationship with Yuki will shift over this story? Do you have any predictions about Zero's character development? Do you have any predictions about her relationship with Kaname? **Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	3. Act One: The Fool, Chapter Three

**_A/N: Hi all! Thank you to those who reviewed, but just a reminder, I can only reply to your questions if you leave it under an account so I can PM you. I don't reply to questions in the story because I don't want it to evolve into large sections of Q/A's which can really bog it down, even if it is in the A/N. As for the question left yesterday, it will be revealed further on. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter and if you do (or don't for that matter) please tell me below! Enjoy :)_**

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The crisp creme colored parchment fought to curl back up into a scroll beneath her stubborn fingertips as Zero rubbed the swirling coils of her mother's hand in the thick paper- Okaa-san.

Of course the paper was without seal and without actual name- but Zero had known it belonged to her mother's hand as soon as she had spotted it on the top shelf of her dorm room bookshelf, tucked away like a prized diploma yet to be framed.

Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail once more, fresh from her weekend morning run, her legs still clad in running shorts and her chest still covered with her sports bra, though she had removed her shirt as soon as she entered her room.

Tucked just behind her mother's missive had been a letter from the H.A., though her mother had detailed in her private letter that it was false and just an excuse to get her off Academy grounds so she would be allowed the month to visit with her family.

She was excited and at the same time nervous to be going away to visit- she hadn't seen any of her family for two years, it would be nice but at the same time her visit had everything to do with her Awakening which was due on the night of her seventeenth birthday.

She smiled at the thought of seeing Ichiru and Maria- who had been so young when she'd last seen her, the grey haired Noble sticking like glue to her younger twin's side.

But that would also mean she was to see her mother and as much as Zero loved her mother- Shizuka was oftentimes erratic and difficult to pen down when she wasn't forced to be and even worse- Zero would have to train with her father and if there was one person on earth she was terrified of… it would most definitely be Thorn.

He was an Elder One- one of the last of them, a spirit of darkness and death and destruction all rolled into one deadly being that sought only sovereignty over the earth. Her mother had bonded with him as a vampire bonds and it had torn her mind asunder, twisting it in unspeakable ways.

But Zero could never complain because without him she wouldn't be here at all and for some reason that thought terrified her- she knew deep within her that she was _meant_ to be here, though she could never guess as to why.

With a sigh, Zero burned the letter and tossed it into the empty wastebasket to burn to ash, collapsing onto her bed and laying her head to rest until tonight when she was to meet with Kaname to feed and talk- something she had never thought the pureblood Prince would want to do with her under any circumstances.

And so she slept, and while she slept she dreamed.

 _Overbearing heat- sharp, unyielding chill._

 _Her thoughts are gone, she does not think- she only feels._

 _And what she feels is confusion and fear and so much agony that she begins to float in and out of existence, or maybe it just feels that way, because she can still feel Ichiru's warm arms wrapped around her as he experiences the same thing she does. He is just better at hiding it now- he had tried so hard to become what he thought she wanted of him when all she wanted was for him to be happy while she could not._

 _She screams as the agony rips and tears at her last shred of hope, her last threads of hope that maybe she could one day be like sweet naive Yuki who thought the world was worth saving._

 _No, what fills her now is the crushing weight of realization, of horror, of utter hopelessness._

 _All she can feel for the moments after she awakens is her energy returning to her quicker and stronger than before and for several minutes she thinks she lost the ability to feel emotion- that all she'll ever feel from here on out is the lack of it- the noticeable lack of the feelings that had weighed her down and yet brought her to life before this awful Awakening._

 _They flood back into her and she can feel Ichiru tangling his fingers into her hair as he rocks her back and forth as she becomes overwhelmed with emotions of all sorts- happiness, fear, love, dread, envy, wrath, lust, want, need- she feels them all and she is grateful for it._

 _But as she settles down she can feel an ugly, monstrous thing curl deep into her center, entangling itself in all that she is- attacking her at her roots till she is left changed in a way she expected but had never actually wanted._

 _This is my life now, she thinks._

 _It is not a comforting thought._

Zero came to with a gasp, slowly righting herself to sit up as her watch reminded her to get ready to meet Kuran at the Night Dorms in half an hour.

She forced her breathing to even, forced her her shoulders to relax and stretched, sighing in relief when a few joints popped.

Her fear of the Awakening had been a present thing in her mind since she was young and first met her father and learned what curse awaited her when she became of age (seventeen for this lucky gift, lucky her).

Her inheritance would be a dark one, and it marked her as one of the few destined to be able to rise up to take the throne of a lost people- the people that had once worshipped her father and his brethren as gods but who had fallen under the weight of societal collapse and disease and famine when most of the Elder Ones were wiped out in The Climate Change years as the humans at the time recklessly tore the Other Side to shreds looking for a way to save their dying version of earth.

Zero quickly brushed out the tangles in her hair and changed into a plain black skirt and violet top after taking a quick two-minute shower.

Sliding her twin anti-vampire daggers under her skirt, she made quick work of tying her plain black tennis shoes before leaving, firmly locking her door as the Day Class girls could never be trusted- a fact she learned when she caught several selling some of her old clothes… and underwear to Day Class boys for a pretty penny.

Zero shuddered at the memory and made her way across the grounds to the Night Dorms in record time.

She was let in without question and then greeted by Aido at the door.

"You look so… attractive when you run like that, Kiryu-chan."

Aw, gross. He was staring at her chest again- he was definitely attractive in his own right, but Zero wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole.

She frowned at the small blond and crossed her arms in irritation, "Aido-senpai…"

Aido blinked blue eyes at her slowly, as if to lure her in but all Zero could think about whenever she was around him was how much trouble he was and that thought had almost always given her the strength to not give in to _his_ puppy eyes look too.

His cousin appeared just behind him a moment later and steered him away with a flat apology which she took with a nod.

Kain Akatsuki was never any trouble- most of the Night Class wasn't except for Aido Hanabusa and Souen Ruka. They kept in line and to themselves and a part of her had always preferred them, though to be honest, after the underwear incident- anywhere other than with the Day Class would seem appealing.

Ichiru had been infuriated when she told him about the incident over the phone and though she had near immediately asked him to forget about it (especially given what she had heard of his plan for revenge), she knew her twin was just biding his time.

Well, at least someone had been as uncomfortable with that as her- Kaien had just laughed it off and for several weeks she had fantasized about shooting him for it.

Contrary to Day Class belief, Zero didn't hate the Night Class, didn't even dislike them- if not for the need for her to put up an act that she hated all vampires, she probably would have wanted to be friends with them.

Ichijo for one- he was like a ray of sunshine after a storm and had the charismatic ability to charm everyone he came across and it didn't even seem to be for some ulterior motive- no, he was just a really nice guy and that was it.

Shiki and Touya were reserved, but generally kind to anyone that came across them when they were coming to and from their modeling work and several times she had come across odd sit-ins which they had with Day Class students that had cornered them instead of calling for assistance so they could get back to the Dorms and get some sleep before Classes began for the night.

In truth, only Aido or Ruka were ever a problem and at least with Ruka Zero had a rough unspoken agreement to not approach one another to prevent disasters. No, she left Ruka to Yuki to handle and Yuki generally did quite well with her because at least Ruka had enough sense to not get into any more trouble after she had been caught.

Aido? Not so much sense in him.

Zero smiled as Takuma manifested at the top of the stairs with a friendly smile on his perfect golden boy features, green eyes twinkling with cheer as he flitted down to greet her where she waited in the foyer.

"Zero-chan! It's nice to see you, are you meeting with Kaname-sama?"

He was the only one who was ever actually allowed to call her that by the way- the rest she would beat sense into on the regular.

She had never had the heart to do that to Takuma though- he was just too _nice_. It'd be like kicking a puppy! Not acceptable in her mind in any way.

She nodded, "Hai, Ichijo-senpai."

He waved her to follow, happily chattering her ears off on his latest manga, the one that was still tucked beneath one of his arms which he frequently showed her, his excitement tangible as he recommended it to her to read.

She smiled at him and they parted ways after Takuma announced her presence at Kaname's office door.

"Come in," He welcomed and she slid inside, the door shutting softly on its own as she took her seat in front of his desk.

They were silent for a few moments as he finished up the page of paperwork he was working on- probably a pointless request the Council sent him. The Inner Circle of his frequently complained about the Council when she was near so she had often times heard of the BS requests that they sent the Kuran Prince to keep him from coming down on them too hard for working without oversight.

Zero sighed softly as he glanced up her, his eyes their usual wine color, though they darkened with emotion the longer he stared at her.

"Something wrong, Kiryu?"

She shrugged, "What's it to you?"

He leaned back and tucked away his pen- a pen that no doubt cost more than all the clothes she owned at the Academy.

"Do you need help?" He asked her with a mocking lilt in his voice.

Zero rolled her eyes, "No. I'm going on a long term hunt is all."

She sighed once more, "But you didn't call me here to see how my day is going, Kuran."

He shrugged, "Perhaps I crave your _lovely_ company, Zero."

She loved the way he said her name, even as he mocked her.

It was said with a gentle, alluring purr and she could near sink into his charismatic hold every time he spoke it aloud.

She hated how affected she was by him.

She frowned at him, "We both know that's not true."

"What if it is?"

"What?!"

He smirked at her, "What if it is?"

She glanced at him with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Never been better," He said, "I've been thinking…"

But she was still quite stuck in her feeling of concern for the pureblood, "You have made it quite clear you hate me, Kuran. Are you sure?"

He rolled his eyes- wait, Kuran just rolled his eyes?

 _What the hell kind of twilight zone have I wandered into?_

This was not the same Kuran Kaname that had fed her his blood about a week ago. She was very concerned- this couldn't end well for her. This had to be some manipulation of his.

At the thought of that she calmed- she could deal with that, or so she thought she could anyway.

"What have you been thinking about then?" She indulged and he leaned forward, staring into her eyes as if to entrance her in his own gaze with a single look.

"I don't hate you, Zero." He sighed, leaning back after a moment, "I want you."

She snapped to her feet and back a few steps to the door, freaking the fuck out quite thoroughly, thank you very much.

"That sounds clumsy coming from you, Kuran."

And it did- she had seen the way he acted with Yuki- he had a fuckton more charm at his disposal than that and it seemed like he hadn't put in any effort to actually win her over.

But still, a traitorous part of her reared its head and fell for his opening line.

She wanted him far too much- this trip could not come soon enough, she thought.

All of a sudden she found herself boxed against the neighboring wall by his arms, his head falling to rest against her throat as he inhaled her scent and caused her heart to skip into a gallop.

"I want you, Zero."

He kissed her neck softly, his lips warm against her skin and drawing goosebumps to the surface.

"We both know you don't need flowery speeches to win you over- no, I'd wager you'd hate something like that… so I'll cut to the chase- I want you Kiryu Zero."

Zero's breathing was short and uneven, her senses overcome by his invading presence- his scent pulled her closer even as his arms never moved from their place over her shoulders, his body radiating an alluring warmth that she craved desperately in that moment.

She looked down to find her hands clenching his black satin button up and though she knew she needed to push him away, she yearned to draw him closer to her.

He kissed a line up her throat and over her jaw- each gentle touch slow and sensuous, making her will grow weaker with each passing moment.

He kissed the corner of her lips and she gasped once more, giving him a clear path to kiss in full and he made good use of it, devouring her whole in just a few moments that left her weak in the knees and heavily reliant on his strength to keep up her standing position.

"You want me to, Zero. I can taste it." He murmured and she swallowed down her common sense as her yearning for him rose to the surface in full.

She pulled him closer and they kissed once more.

She could not keep herself from checking him for truth however, and so she casted out her senses to only feel irritation coming from him.

But still, she pushed her suspicions aside, too blinded her ber desire for him to willingly see anything different.

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 _ **A/N: Questions for ya'll this chapter:** What do you think of Kaname in this chapter? Do you think he has an ulterior motive? Do you think it's genuine? How do you feel about this FemZero? Do you want her to be friends with the Night Class? **Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	4. Act One: The Fool, Chapter Four

_**A/N: Here is the fourth chapter of Heartless, early because I got WAY ahead today- well, yesterday now as it is past midnight. Tomorrow I will be editing and trying to extend the chapters as they are short and sweet (like I'm talking as short as 800 or so words, which I really don't like, but at the same time I'm trying to push more into quality than quantity and I feel like that will really be much better in the long run. On days with short chapters I will try to post twice, once when I wake up and twice when I go to bed- though if I get my two reviews per chapter before then I will post earlier (So to clarify, I post a new chapter for every two reviews). I really appreciate those that have reviewed- even if you have nothing to correct me on, your words of encouragement still mean a helluva lot to me and I want ya'll to know that. Anyway, please enjoy :)**_

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She had left the next morning for her mother's home in the mountains, taking a nondescript car by herself, taking special care to throw anyone who might follow her off her trail by weaving in and out of traffic, on and off highways until she deemed the road before her safe to be traveled alone.

Part of it was definitely paranoia- she could admit that- but she knew how important it was that she not be discovered travelling to the Hio mountain keep.

No, revealing herself before it was time was not in her game plan.

The journey took several hours to make if you did the speed limit, but Zero sped her way through most of it in about three and half instead, her eyes dead on the empty roads before her as her suitcase sat in the back seat, her weapons contained in the two sleek metal cases that sat below the back seat, hidden away in case she was pulled over.

She wasn't- and had only ever been pulled over once before, but then she had been obviously underage. Imagine a nine year old Zero driving a Hummer with the Kiryu couple bloody and/or broken in the back and you got the picture.

When she reached the long curling drive up the mountain pass she breathed a sigh of relief, finally allowing herself the time to think instead of mindless focus, her familiarity with the terrain making her lax.

But she most certainly was not going to think about the night before when she had only pulled away from Kuran when he made to strip her of her underwear.

No- she would not think of that here, she fucking refused.

She was met with the sight of her family home as she finally crested high enough to see it's traditional japanese build with rich colors and regal construction through the thick overhanging sakura trees.

She cast out her senses and smiled when she caught sight of Ichiru running out to greet her, delicate Maria skipping out behind him to greet her as she pulled the car to a stop at the top of the drive.

Ichiru had the door open and Zero wrapped in his arms before she could blink and her laughter filled the air as she sank into his embrace.

"Zero-nee," He mumbled into her hair, "I missed you."

She smiled, "We talk every week, Ru."

He pulled back, his perfect features warm with cheer and amusement as he eyed her up and down.

"That's not the same and you know it."

She nodded and smiled over his shoulder at Maria, "Maria-chan! It's nice to see you looking so good. How are you?"

Ichiru pouted at her and Zero stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

Maria blush and stuttered over her words, "I am w-well, Zero-hime."

Ichiru rolled his eyes and began helping Zero unpack the car, Maria rushing to help as well.

Zero and Ichiru took a weapons case each, and Ichiru took her suitcase of clothes, leaving Maria Zero's small backpack to carry in as Ichiru led Zero back to their room- a room they had always shared.

Zero prodded Maria for news of her family and the smaller girl eventually gained the confidence to not fumble over her words as the twins made short work of settling Zero back into their room.

"Ah, so Okaa-san is talking to Subaru-kun once more?" Zero rolled her eyes- like that had gone well the last time.

Maria nodded, "I think she misses Ayame-san and Subaru-kun had forbidden his wife from interacting with her to prevent the Council catching word of them allying themselves with Shizuka-hime."

Ichiru nodded, "Overall things have been quiet, though. It's been nice but more than a little boring."

"Boring is _good_ , Ru." Zero rolled her eyes and Ichiru shook his head emphatically.

"No, boring is _bad_. Makes me feel like _I_ need to find some entertainment."

Zero turned to look up at her taller brother with a frown, "You didn't."

Ichiru shrugged with a wry grin, "I did."

"Ru! Last time you found entertainment there were an absurd amount of dead bodies to bury. Tell me you didn't."

He rolled his eyes, "Okie Dokie, I didn't."

Zero's nostrils flared and she found her hands on her hips already. Seriously, she hadn't even been there for a single hour yet!

Maria left the two alone and Ichiru stepped forward, forcing Zero to crane her head up to look him in the eyes. He dropped his teasing expression and slowly ran a steady hand over her cheek, his eyes glimmering with affection.

"Ru…" She whispered and he smiled softly at her.

"I missed you." He said, "I can't wait till this is over and it can go back to it being just us."

She glanced away in shame- once upon a time it had been just them and she had promised that they could have it again but now, now her heart was pulled in two and she was forced to see it in full.

It was so easy to pretend Kuran was the only one she cared for like that since she saw him almost every night, but she was kidding herself if she thought she could ever forget how much she had always loved Ichiru- he was her other half and she knew without a doubt she could trust him with anything.

Of course she had told him everything- there was never any hope at keeping secrets between them- including her emerging affection for someone she wanted with all her being to hate.

It would have certainly made things easier, anyway.

He hadn't judged her for it and she knew why- even though that small deadly voice in her head said Kaname could one day be hers she knew with all her being that it was wrong. Even when she awakened as a pureblood she would never be the one for him and that fact crushed her. But Ichiru knew and everytime he said something like that- something that hinted at them having a future together- she knew he didn't fault her for it, and that he wasn't making those comments to be cruel- he was making them as a promise to her, that he'd wait for her.

A part of her loved him even more for those promises but a larger part of her wondered if there would be anything left of her at the end of it all.

He pressed his lips gently against her own, tucking a locke of her hair behind her ear before smiling once again and taking her hand, guiding her through the expansive halls to the courtyard where her mother sat on a concrete bench just outside of the discreet shrine built for the twins' father.

Hio Shizuka- the Madly Blooming Princess- wore a pretty but plain cherry blossom pink kimono, her long white tresses pulled up into an intricate style that kept part of her hair hanging down to her waist, the rest pulled into a braided bun. Her hands twirled a piece of baby pink ribbon in between her fingers, her expression warm with whimsy but distant as she caught sight of her approaching progeny.

"Zero, my daughter…"

Zero rushed forward and fell into her mother's embrace, Shizuka softly petting her silver haired daughter's head.

"Okaa-san…" Zero breathed and Shizuka smiled, Ichiru stepping forward to sit beside the two.

After a few moments where only a constant breeze smelling of sweet blossoms flooded the air and warm setting sun pressed down upon them, Shizuka pulled away with the same placid, distant grin.

"I am not the one who summoned you, Zero. Your father did."

Zero swallowed down the apprehension that threatened to overcome her at her mother's admission and slowly pulled back to stand up.

Her father did not like to be kept waiting and if her father called for her than that meant she would have to perform several rituals before he manifested in the shrine's circle.

Zero nodded to her mother and turned on her heel to head into the shrine, tossing on the robes and correctly gathering the supplies she'd need.

She'd have to do it alone and so she did, relying on her intuition and her knowledge of magic and ritual to correctly prep the space for her father's arrival.

As an hour passed she soon found the time approaching as moonlight flooded in through the open skylight to land on the chalked out circle, lined with thick ancient script unknown to almost all.

She sat on her knees in between the circle and entrance to the shrine, her head bowed in submission, her hands laying open in her lap.

Out of the corner of her eyes she could spot a shadow rise up from the stone floors, solidifying into the armoured feet of a man.

"Daughter."

It was brief, it was dark, and it was deep.

Her father's voice penetrated her skull like a battering ram and she fought to collapse beneath the weight of his presence.

"Rise."

She did as she was commanded and shambled to her feet with as much grace as she could muster.

He did not insult her form, but she could feel his irritation- she had always been expected to do better than she did and Zero knew the month ahead would be a long one.

He looked down his nose at her, but he was naturally much taller than she and a foot and half taller than her brother who was already almost as tall as Kaname was.

His face was concealed by a spartan like helmet that was an aged silver, his piercing onyx eyes glaring down at her with annoyance.

His skin was as fair as her own, allowing her to properly analyze his form from behind his heavy silver armour, his build broad and muscular- meant for war the likes of which she had never seen.

She fought the urge to kneel once more and shifted her stance to emit confidence and strength, her back straightening with her resolve to impress him or come as close to that as she ever would be able to.

He was her father and she had a duty to him.

 _I will not fail._

She felt him cock a brow at her from beyond his mask.

"No. You will not fail me." Thorn growled, "And I will ensure it at all costs."

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 _ **A/N: Don't worry if the chapters are short btw, this is going to be a long running story so even though your getting less words per chapter, your getting more chapters (and not to mention, less filler!). Anyway, my questions for ya'll in this chapter:** How do you think Thorn plays into this? What kind of role do you think he'll play? Do you think he is a minor antag, an antihero, or do you think he's the ultimate Big Bad? How do you feel about the relationship with Ichiru? More of that is coming, by the way. And since I've gotten really far ahead writing wise, I really need to know if ya'll want me to change the rating and include smut or if you want me to just keep the sex off screen like with the fade-to-black method? How do you feel about Ichiru? How do you feel about the beginning portrayal of Shizuka? And finally, do you have any predictions as to this unmentioned goal of Zero and Thorn's? _**_Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)_**


	5. Act One: The Fool, Chapter Five

_**A/N: Alrighty, here is the fifth chapter! Enjoy :)**_

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Weeks passed in a haze of bright lights and creeping darkness and Thorn worked Zero to the bone with the amount of rituals she was commanded to perform for him, most of them leaving her feeling grimy and weak and so fucking dirty- like all she had been before was sullied by her lessons with her father.

She had complained before about feeling herself turning toward a dark path and now, now she felt way beyond that and it had only gotten worse the week before she was to return to the Academy on the night of her birthday when her powers had awakened in her.

It had been exactly what she dreamt of it being- it had been eery how everything in that nightmare came to be.

She had been forced to work harder the following week, taking everything she had been taught before and making it a part of her new self-a self she hated but at the same time came to admire.

This Zero was stronger than the one that came before and her body language spoke of resolve and impeccable class thanks to her parents' teachings. Her voice could pull the weaker to her as easily as a pureblood could command lesser vampires and several times she had to correct herself when she found Maria staring at her with glazed eyes.

Ichiru had done much the same and she had noticed her twin pull away from Maria and lean on her for support as she was the only one he felt he could relate to now. He had quieted down, became more introspective as his darkness developed within him and as days passed she could see a furious blaze bloom to life in his eyes- a fire of passion that turned him away from even their mother, that bid him to sling harsh mocking barbs at the few people that were allowed on the Hio's lands that he could get away with insulting.

It felt the same for her and she was grateful that she had never gotten attached to anyone in the Day Class beside Yuki, because even Zero was prone to snapping at others until she shoved a muzzle on it and forced Ichiru to do the same.

They had been all each other had as they went through it and during their moments alone that passion that glowed in Ichiru's eyes had sung for her to bridge the distance and called her to make the next move, something he would never force her to do but something that she had ultimately done willingly even as a part of her still yearned for Kuran.

Ichiru had been her rock through it all and when the time came for her to make the car ride back to the Academy she cried into his shirt as she forced herself to let him go.

She hated it, hated how it would be quite some time till she wouldn't have to let him go when they reunited, hated how the further she drove the more of her mind became excited with the idea of seeing Kaname again, her memory scarred with the feeling of the brown haired pureblood's lips against her skin, his hands clawing into her waist with abandon.

She arrived back on a Monday morning, free from classes for the day as she settled back into her dorm room.

She finished before lunch however and so she studied for classes for two hours before she realized with horror and mild impression that she had made it ahead her schooling two weeks without even thinking. She had been up to date with her lessons already, but before it had taken her at least three restless nights to make it ahead a week.

Her concentration had improved then and Zero bit her lip with slight concern before she shifted her attention to training with her abilities.

She'd have to use the tower for most practice, but she made do with her dorm room, closing the blinds and curtains firmly, her eyes adjusting easily in the darkness.

She laid down on the floor, focusing on her breathing as she willed herself to sink into that darkness, to shape it to her will and stretch it like needed to be stretched.

 _Mistress_ , it sang beneath her intangible touch, _I am yours to command._

Zero did not recoil at the sound of it's alluring voice, instead reaching out to entice it to life- she had been prepared for a servant of her own making to emerge and so she knew precisely what to do.

 _You are mine._ She accepted, _And you will answer only to me._

The darkness purred in pleasure, _As you wish, Mistress._

She floated in that meditative state for what felt like hours but was in actuality days as her body took free rein and went to her classes and fulfilled her prefect duties as she became one with the servant.

When she came to she was heading to prefect duties at the Night Dorm gate, her mind reliving the past several days in brief, to the point, flashes.

 _Yuki's bright smile, "I'm so glad you're back, Zero-nee."_

 _Her unconscious reply, "I'm glad to be back, Yuki. C'mon- we'll be late if you keep us back with this emo reunion shit."_

 _Changovers where Kaname did not glance once at her, even if she stood right next to Yuki. His gaze was shallow if it breezed over her and they did not speak to one another, Yuki taking it in stride as them simply ignoring each other instead of fighting in front of her._

But as Zero came back to herself she slowed in her steps, unnerved by his actions- he had never ignored her so thoroughly before and why would he do so when he had been the one to kiss her? She had not initiated the contact, but to have him ignore her after that… It left her feeling dirty and unwanted even as that familiar part of her whispered motivations in her willing ears.

 _Kaname, why are you doing this?_

She couldn't figure it out and Zero forced herself to run the rest of the way to changeover to make it on time.

When she arrived she snapped at the Day Class to back away off the path and mindlessly, they did.

Yuki recoiled from her side of the line in surprise, beaming at Zero when the silverette approached her.

 _Bumbling idiot._ The voice sneered, the voice that sounded exactly like Zero and not the faithful masculine tone of her servant.

Zero pasted on a light smile for her adopted sister as she settled herself beside the petite brunette as the Night Dorm gates fell open and the Night Class filed out, seemingly shocked when even when Aido egged the Day Class on the humans did not fight their way forward, their eyes a bit glazed.

Kuran paid the Day Class no mind, though he looked a bit tense as he approached the two of them as if he sensed a foreign power at play. Zero crossed her arms as he approached and stopped before Yuki, still not looking at her for some reason.

Yuki, _of course_ , fumbled over herself constantly as he smiled kindly at her and completely ignored Zero's existence.

Her darkness reared up and she felt a chill break into the air and as she adjusted her footing, felt frosted grass crunch underfoot. She frowned, her anger sparking into a wildfire at being ignored for the _pathetic prat_ that stood beside her.

Her behavior clearly demanded acknowledgment and her nails bit into her pale arms, ripping into her sleeves and into the skin below, drawing blood and gaining her the weighty stares of the Night Class as she kept her stiff posturing, unable to force herself to relax.

It had gained her looks from both Kuran and Yuki however and her rage was near insurmountable, demanding to be expressed.

"Something irritating you, Kiryu?" Kuran prodded, his mask back in place as he stared her down like she was a wild animal about to attack them all.

Her eyes were darkening she knew, but no crimson overcame them.

She cast her gaze to the Day Class.

" _Leave._ "

They had stilled at her actions as well, though she doubted they would recall it the next morning as they all heard her demand and rushed to follow, bolting away and to their own Dorms.

Her voice had been overcome with the compulsive power she had inherited from her father and Zero forced herself to glance back at Kuran and Yuki, her eyes dark and terrifyingly flat, revealing nothing.

She cocked a brow, "I'm surprised you'd notice little ole me, Kuran. I thought you had decided to ignore me into oblivion."

"Zero!" Yuki chided and Zero snapped her gaze to her.

 _Devour the prat's heart and all will be yours…._

She gave no sign at hearing the voice that sounded so much like her own, but as that rage flowed through her Zero could near _taste_ Yuki's blood in her mouth, feel her heart give it's last beats as she ripped it from her chest and bit into it's thick life giving strength, devouring all that it had been.

Takuma stepped forward from the rest of the Night Class and broke the tension between the Kaname, Yuki, and Zero with a bumbling charm.

"Excuse me, Prefect-chans! I think it would be best if we all got ahead to class now!" He laughed nervously, wringing his hands as his leader stared down the level-D vampire hunter.

Zero took a step back and snapped her eyes to the ground, but still catching the look in Kuran's eyes as he turned away and back to the Night Class.

 _Concern_.

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 _ **A/N: Like it? Hate it? Tell me below! Questions for ya'll-** Got any predictions for Yuki in this story- will she live? Will she die? (Do we have any Yuki haters in the audience?) Any predictions for Zero's servant? He plays a larger role, I'll tell you that. **Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	6. Act One: The Fool, Chapter Six

**_A/N: Here is the sixth chapter of Heartless- thank you to those who IMMEDIATELY reviewed (no one else reviewed after that), it was really cool to see that happen and I would have uploaded again if I had been at my computer but I had to get out of the house. But I won't be going out until later tonight, so the next chapter will hit when the 2+ chapter minimum is hit. Anyway, enjoy :)_**

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A week passes, then another and tensions grow between Zero and Yuki- everything she had once loved about the prat became torturous on her frayed senses, every stupid but endearing motion Yuki made in turn made Zero want to tear out her hair and it came to a head on the night of the full moon.

The voice had never gone away, and no matter how much she begged her servant- the only friend she seemed to have now- nothing could be done to rid her of it's alluring call.

 _Devour her heart and he will be yours…Everything that was her's will be yours… all you have to do is devour her heart…_

Yuki had pounded on her Dorm Room door moments ago and Zero couldn't keep herself from snapping at her- her words unfamiliar on her tongue- far too cruel to have come from her, she thought later, but knowing that this was who she was now and those were the things she said.

"You simpering idiot, why don't you ever leave me alone?! Can't you see how much you drive me crazy? I. Don't. Want. You. Here. Get _out_!"

Yuki recoiled, but not for long, snapping back at Zero in her own way, "You don't want _anyone_! Is that what you want, me to leave you alone for the rest of your life? You want to be alone till the end of your days?!"

Zero slammed the girl to the back of the door, "Better alone than acting like a pathetic little girl who doesn't know when someone is out of her reach!"

Her words struck a chord with Yuki, but also with herself and she released the brunette, Yuki abruptly slamming the door as she ran away from the exhausted silverette.

"Why am I like this?" She asked aloud, "Why- just why?"

She collapsed back into bed as tears gently flowed down her face, her mind taken by the enticing images that deadly voice sent to wear her down.

 _Rich, warm, lifeblood flooding her mouth._

 _Her hand pulling back before abruptly flying forward and cracking into her prey's ribcage, ripping out the heart within a single moment as it still pulsed with life in her hand._

She skipped class that day as well as patrols and chose instead to hideaway at the Lakebed beneath a large, ancient weeping willow, her head in her hands. She was doing what she had once mocked others for doing, being 'an emo little shit' but you did what you could to try and hold yourself together after really tough days.

That was how Kaname found her.

She can sense his indignant fury and she knows Yuki ran off to him for a shoulder to cry on.

But Kuran Kaname was not a sympathetic ear- he was a male of well thought out action (except when Zero was involved) and he sought to solve problems simply. They both knew he did a shit job at comforting people so Zero had no doubt that Yuki had run off when she didn't find what she was looking for leaving Kuran behind feeling not only irate but (and this is what brought her to laugh) _lacking_.

Her darkness purred in satisfaction as he approached her like a prowling beast of nature, his eyes glazed over with anger and his hands curled into claws.

"You want to tell me why Yuki caught me as I was to close for the day, crying about you?"

She turned to him, standing.

"No, not really."

She understood why he was angry and even though she doubted Yuki had explained word for word what Zero had said to her, Zero knew her words had been exceedingly harsh. But even though she should regret her words, she didn't.

She should, and she knew that.

Was it the darkness that made her so jealous- so angry at everything? Or was she just doing a poorer job at hiding it than she had before? She couldn't tell anymore- the lines had blurred in her fragile mind beyond belief.

Sighing, "Things have changed."

She glanced up at the overhanging moon as it rose higher in the sky and felt the darkness in her begin to hum with satisfaction, welcoming her with pleasurable pulses of power.

She was slammed against the trunk of the willow, boxed in yet again by Kuran's arms.

"You have a thing about personal space, don't you, Kuran?" She teased, her lips falling into a tired smirk.

She shivered as he leaned in close, her eyes falling shut as his warm autumn scent invaded her senses.

A piece of her darkness manifests in her mind's eye, caressing her cheek and convincing her to reach out with her empathy to search the pureblood's mind for the love or hell, even affection, that she so desired to see in it.

Kaname said nothing, running his lips over her collar, unaware that she sees now what had so wanted to deny- that she was _nothing_ to him, and that was all she could ever be.

She stills as he pulls back, her eyes clenching shut to prevent tears from escaping.

 _He can be yours…_ The Darkness beckons.

She opened her eyes to see Kaname staring at her, his eyes searching for something in her gaze. She didn't know what it was- but he found something in it that he liked and leaned forward in a single moment, his lips aligning with her own and tempting her with someone that would never be hers of his own volition.

 _Consume her heart and the world will be yours in return…_

She fell into his kiss, sinking into his arms as the moonlight fell down upon them, her powers expanding once more.

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 ** _A/N: Thanks for reading! Questions for ya'll this chapter-_** _Like it? Hate it? How do you feel about Kaname right now? Zero? Yuki? **Let me know below!**_


	7. Act Two: Death, Chapter One

_**A/N: Here is the shortest chapter I have written for this story. The rest are longer I promise. I finished the next chapter of The Devil today, so I plan on posting that either tomorrow or Monday morning. If I don't post The Devil's ch.6 tomorrow, I'll post another one of Heartless' chapters like normal, but if I do you'll get the next chapter on Monday.**_

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Zero came to in Kuran's bed, her head pounding and her stomach tangled in aching knots as she coughed and coughed, her thoughts as tangled as her stomach as the feeling of sickening corruption threatens to overcome her.

She had fallen for his advances the night before and didn't regret it, even if she knew this had meant nothing on his part- she had no doubt he would return to ignoring her if only because it seemed to be his favorite- maybe only- hobby.

Her father had warned her of this- she had already known what she would have to do to prevent it from getting worse- she had to consume a heart lest she lose what remains of her sanity.

Her vision quivered as she sat up and tried to stand, promptly falling onto her knees on the floor.

Her teeth ache with need and she flinched when she felt Kaname sit her back onto his bed, his brows furrowed with false concern.

He sat down beside her, already dressed while she wore only the black satin sheet, offering her his throat and luring her to feed from him.

She did not pretend to fight it this time- she latched onto his neck with needle-like canines and he groaned unwillingly, her darkness luring his mind to complacency as she opens her eyes to glance her servant over his shoulder in the full length mirror- its form that of a black dog.

"Call for me, Mistress, and I will serve you forevermore."

Zero gave into the darkness and the dog grinned at her, leaping out from the mirror's glass and shifting into a shadow of a male figure who clawed into Kaname's back like bedeviled monkey, leaving deep crimson gashes.

Zero pulled back and Kaname groaned once more, pulling her into his lap to latch onto her own throat.

Zero cried out at the feeling, but could still keenly feel the shade's touch as it caressed her face and curled a locke of hair between two shadowed fingers.

"Relax, young Mistress, let him taste what he seeks to toss aside for some sealed brat. Demons of his ilk will do anything for power, and you will soon be the most powerful of all…"

The darkness felt cloying in the air around them and Zero knew she would not come out of this unscathed, if at all.

" _Please forgive me, I should have been better. I should be better, but I'm not and I fear I never will be…"_

Tears fell down her face and she felt tainted by her blood, by the darkness that consumed her very soul.

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 ** _A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I'm sorry it's so short. Tell me your feels from this chapter below! :)_**


	8. Act Three: The Lovers, Chapter One

_**A/N: Here is the eighth chapter of Heartless- I also updated The Devil yesterday evening if you follow that story of mine and have the next chapter of The Devil ready to be posted when I get a response to it. I will post the next chapter of Heartless tomorrow or when I've reached the 2+ reviews marker. Please tell me what you think below! Enjoy :)**_

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A week had passed since then and Kaname had withdrawn from her yet again, though he wasn't nearly so cold to her at changeovers, even if he refused to talk to her.

(It wasn't as if she spoke up to him either, so she couldn't exactly fault him for it.)

But even though she had not spoken to him after their night alone, she still caught his warning glances whenever she was sharp with Yuki in his presence and so had taken to simply ignoring the petite brunette, even when he lavished her with romantic affection not five feet away from Zero.

Zero hadn't spoken to Yuki since the day after she had slept with Kuran when Zero had made a rough apology to the younger girl, which Yuki had accepted, but Zero still found the girl grating on her nerves worse and worse and she had even taken to sneaking away from the Academy every other day or so.

It was getting harder and harder to come back and her heart shriveled more and more as the days passed and Kaname had not looked her way more than a handful of times.

She knew how ridiculous she was being but as she got worse all she seemed to be able to think about was the darkness or Kaname and it was wearing on her.

She was testy these days and had her mother not sent word that she and Ichiru would be arriving soon to break the seal on Zero's physical form, Zero probably wouldn't return to the school at all on the days she left for town.

But she pushed onward, keeping her acrid mask atop her features at all times, never having felt as isolated as she did now.

She wondered whether Kaname would want her when he discovered she was a Hio pureblood princess, but a large part of her felt as if he should want her now regardless.

But a larger part of her knew better- she was only a level-D hunter to his knowledge now and Zero knew how much status meant to vampire kind.

But even if he did want her when she revealed herself to him? Would he want her- tainted by her father's magic as she was?

Zero left crossover without speaking to Yuki, escaping to the Lakebed where the lapping waves soothed her maddening thoughts.

She was determined not to become her mother, but oh, how she felt madness latch onto her shoulders, weighing down her each and every step.

That was how she was discovered by Kaname, her bare feet swinging underwater and her coat tossed aside, leaving her in her skirt and shirt and occupied shoulder holster.

They were silent, each aware of one another, but neither knowing how to quite make the other talk or how to make the heavy silence lighter.

She did not look up from the dark waters as she spoke, "Am I finally worthy of your company, Kuran?"

"I never knew you required my company, Kiryu." He drawled, "You should have said something, I'm not one to force my presence upon those that don't want it."

She whipped her head around to look at him with narrowed violet eyes, "Bullshit! You're avoiding me on purpose- why?"

She stretched out her senses, her gaze never leaving his eerily perfect features, scanning him for any hint of false emotion. But she sensed only desire and frustration coming from him in waves.

"See," Her servant whispered, "Now that he had a taste he yearns for you, Mistress. You need only offer him another and another and another till he is yours."

Doubt at the invisible shade's words filled her as Kaname finally replied.

"I assure you, Zero, I am perfectly capable of confusion at times."

 _He's confused? Could it be that he- of course, that must be why he is so frustrated, he…. Wants me._

Zero didn't know how to feel about that and swung herself up to her feet, picking up her coat as she looked anywhere but at him, yet finding herself approaching him.

"And?" She asked, "Have you found your way again?"

He crossed the sparse distance between them, his larger frame dominating her own as his hand ghosted over her flushed cheek before sweeping her hair back behind her ear and drawing her gaze to his own.

"Yes," He said, "I have."

Her eyes fell closed as he leaned closer and she felt a brush of lips against her own.

He withdrew slowly but she surprised him by kissing him in return.

It was as if that was all he had been waiting for because she felt his hands pull her closer, holding her as if was to be cherished.

It was all she had ever wanted.

It ended all too soon for her as Kaname pulled away, recoiling at the sound of light feet with a heavy tread bolting away- both of them sensing who it could have been.

She knew she was right when she felt her almost lover's frustration spark into an uncontrollable blaze and the trees beside them splintered, nicking her bare skin and Kaname's own.

"This was a mistake," He sighed, "I should have known better." ****

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you so much for reading. My questions for ya'll this chapter-** What do you think of Kaname right now? What do you think about Zero? I want to know your opinions/feels! Who do you hate the most and why? Who do you love and why? **Let me know below! :)**_


	9. Act Three: The Lovers, Chapter Two

**_A/N: Chapter lengths will be increasing due to demand, but not until I have every chapter posted that is already completed. I will be posting another chapter after this one because I didn't realize quite how short this one is. Also, part of the reason this story is updated so frequently is because the chapters are so short. Because ya'll want more of it all at once I'll be posting two chapters of it a day until it's up to date with what I have completed, the only thing is since I'm focusing on the stories I have outlined at least partially once it gets to what I have completed it will becoming slower but hopefully with the added length ya'll want. The thing I wanted to do with this story is make the chapters short sweet and to the point but the story would have a lot of chapters to make up for it, but if ya'll want longer chapters I'll gladly change it for ya'll once everything I already have completed is posted. I'm sorry if this has caused ya'll any trouble._**

* * *

He had left her there- at the lake's edge, yearning for the warmth he withheld from her as the first frost of winter breached the Academy's borders, her darkness giving the chill a cutting edge, sure to cancel class for the next day.

"You must make a move against the brat, Mistress."

"I know," She sighed, turning to glance at her faithful shade, "I know, I have been a fool to think I wouldn't have to."

* * *

It was midday and she had locked herself in the unused tower's basement, her shirt wrinkled and her skirt shorter than usual, her legs bare of her thigh high uniform socks, which had been tossed beside the first aid kit.

The vampires were all asleep by now, but she had made sure to place hidden seals on every crack, crevice, door, nook, and cranny leading outside- no one would be able to know that she had made her first kill here- where Kuran had cornered her on numerous occasions.

She could sense her prey approaching, feet heavy, mind hazy with the power of her influence hanging over his head.

Her prey had been chosen painstakingly- he was close to Kaname, in his inner circle- was that too close? Would he give her away? She had to risk it- had to trust that her servant would be wise enough to mirror her victim's mannerisms perfectly.

Zero blew out a breath as she felt him breach the first door, and then the second as the first shut silently, the lock sturdy and true, enough to ward off any stray day class students who were looking to get lucky on the free day. Her hands quivered with anticipation and she licked her lips as his scent began to warm her senses, igniting a fearsome hunger within the silverette.

The second door was opened and followed the first's actions, shutting silently and locking tight. Zero whispered the activation spell as the third door at the top of the stairs fell open and her prey stepped within, his green eyes glazed and compliant.

"Come to me…" She beckoned, and the door shut like the rest, sealing him in the room with her till she released the charms.

He stopped within a foot of her and she inched a perfectly manicured hand up his white uniform coat, completely aware that what she was about to do would not be able to be undone. She wrapped her hand around his neck and let loose the darkness that laid beneath her skin.

"Kiss me, senpai."

He did- and with that, he became the first to fall in her quest for love.


	10. Act Three: The Lovers, Chapter Three

She noticed a familiar grey haired female at crossover two days later but her mother paid her no mind.

Zero knew it was only a matter of time before she would be summoned to her mother's side to complete the transition.

She brushed over the rest of the Night Class with a light gaze, careful to not focus on any of them until she spotted Kaname approaching Yuki.

Her jealous rage flared and she could hear her servant's silver tongued voice reassure her from afar.

Zero scoffed and perhaps out of spite departed from her side of the path, letting loose the Day Class upon the Night Class. She made her way off path and into the forest surrounding, first at a brisk walk and then at a light footed run, her senses casting off in all directions for prey but the only prey that lies near is that which she abandoned and she loses herself if the feeling of her muscles burning under the stress.

But she doesn't stop- not until she finds herself in a graveyard at the edge of town.

Level-Es are usually present in such foul places, yet she senses none. What she does sense is her twin, who revealed himself under a string of lanterns, his mask tossed aside in favor of a cunning smirk.

"Ichiru." She whispered

"Nee-chan, what a surprise! Couldn't wait to see little ole me? I thought you forgot about me what with the way you follow Kuran like a lovesick puppy."

His words were cruel and sharp, but she took no offense- how could she? She was putting him through it all even though she had made a promise long ago to never settle for anyone but her Ru.

She approached him with a frown, "Have I really been that bad?"

Ichiru laughed, "Worse- but the idiots at the Academy would never notice."

She sat down beside him in the grass atop a dilapidated grave. He grabbed hold of her and pulled her flush against him.

"Zero-nee, Otou-san will never allow it. All you will get out of this is the utter destruction of the Kuran line…" He trailed off, "You were not meant for him. You were meant for me."

Zero curled into his hold, his warmth providing her with clarity if for a brief moment alone. No one could ever know her as well as Ichiru- no one, not Yuki, not the Chairman, and certainly not Kaname.

In the end, Ichiru was all she had ever had and all she could ever want, and yet… She had yearned for Kaname since the night they had met.

"I would do anything for you, Zero. I exist because of you and without my Zero how would I go on?" He hummed.

Zero buried her head in his neck and her tumultuous thoughts calmed as they had before they had been separated.

They had promised one another to never forget- to never ever forget that they were a team, they were broken halves only whole when together.

And oh, how Zero longed to remain whole as his comforting aura swam in the air around them, reminding her that they had been each other's first loves- that they had once sworn to be one another's last as well.

In that moment, all Zero could think of was how she yearned for those days at the Kiryu house under the sakura tree which had carried whispers of their mother's love for them even in the harshest of frosts.

Her heart was a mess of knots and tangles and every pull seemed to isolate her further away from where she had once wanted to be.

Zero clutched her brother's coat and let loose her anguish if only for a few moments- she would have to come back stronger- she would have to _be_ stronger if she was to come out of this with her sanity intact.

 _I will not become another Madly Blooming Princess. I will endure- I will thrive._

* * *

 ** _A/N: End of the chapters to be posted for today as this is the third. About 2k words total- I see what ya'll mean about them being too short but I was more focused when writing these on making them solid than on length. But again, I will be changing them to be longer. I have up to chapter fifteen completed but since you'll be getting two-three chapters a day (depending on their lengths), we should have everthing that has been completed posted by Wednesday or Thursday, probably Wednesday. Anyway, let me know what you think below._**


	11. Act Four: The Chariot, Chapter One

_**A/N: Another three chapters being posted today. Please tell me what you think after each, any impressions/thoughts/opinions/predictions you might have. Also, tomorrow will be the last day of postings I have completed and you will be getting two chapters instead of three because I wanted to make the second chapter for the fifth act longer for ya'll. If you have any suggestions for where to take the story, please begin making them now as I am looking to start outlining again within the next week or so. As always, I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

The night of the Winter Formal had arrived and Zero had skipped the dance with barely a thought- no one missed her at such events anyway as she was usually just ignored if not outrightly avoided due to the aura she always broadcasted at the rare inter-class events.

So she found herself on the path to the original Night Dorms, her twin meeting her at the fork in the path that separated the mostly deserted building from the current occupied Night Dorms.

"Aren't you excited, Zero-nee? We can finally take up the mantle that Okaa-san once promised us!"

Though his tone was eager, it was still softly spoken, careful to only be heard by Zero. One never knew when Kaname's loyal Seiren was but feet away. Of course, Zero knew the purple haired noble was far behind them, silently stalking Yuki and protecting her from afar like Kaname had no doubt commanded her to do since the twins' mother had arrived in the form of their weaker cousin.

Zero nodded, "It will be a welcome relief."

Ichiru smirked, "Come now, Zero-nee… You need not hide your thoughts from me. I for one, look forward to competing with your crush for your affection after tonight."

Zero smiled softly at his words, her eyes glancing up at the break in the trees to the wrought iron gates ahead, moonlight pouring down upon an overgrown cobblestone path.

A sweet kiss of cherry blossoms greeted them as they each pushed past the rusting gate, a warm glow reaching out from the porch.

Zero blew out a breath.

"Nervous?" Ichiru drawled.

"No," She replied, "Apprehensive maybe. Like I'm about to return home after a long trip away."

They entered the drafty building and glided down the halls to the main bedchamber on the second floor- one of five meant for any purebloods that had wanted to enter the Academy at its origin.

Kaien had been overestimating how many purebloods would support his quest for co-existence, but it would no doubt prove helpful for the Hio twins after the night was over- no one in the Night Class would welcome them, Zero had long since attracted the ire of most of the Nobles, no matter how little her problems had actually been with them.

Ichiru snorted at her thoughts, "They won't dare trifle with you after tonight- not if they know what's good for them anyway."

Zero smiled- sometimes it felt like Ichiru was older- he had always been over protective, possessive of her even. But those qualities had never irritated her, because before they were both bitten, her brother had been weaker, sickly even. Then, she had been the overprotective one. It felt nice to be cared for, and she could feel his amusement at her thoughts.

They entered the room to find Maria lying on a chaise lounge, their Mother stretching her legs as she readjusted to her pureblooded form.

Shizuka held her arms outstretched to Zero and the silverette bolted to her mother, collapsing into a welcome embrace.

"Are you ready, Zeroine?" Shizuka breathed and Zero nodded into her mother's chest, inhaling the scent that had always innately soothed her- sweet cherries and fresh spring blooms.

Zero released her mother with a swallow and was guided to the bed where her mother sat her down and caressed her face with care.

"Ichiru, keep watch and make sure no one disturbs us. That blasted Kuran seems set on meddling in what he doesn't know."

"Hai, Okaa-san."

Zero relaxed as she felt her brother cast out his aura to encompass the building, then his senses out further, making her cheeks flush with warmth.

Shizuka smiled, "Soon, soon."

Zero closed her eyes as her mother angled her head high, guiding it into a gentle arch before striking like a viper, causing Zero to cry out.

Her lifesblood abandoned her and the seal crackled and fizzed, burning bright in her mind's eye, a fiery sun giving way to a cool moon, leaving her quivering and weak in her mother's hold. She fell lax, her mind barely present even as she felt fresh blood flow into her mouth, beckoning her to sink her fangs into smooth white skin left bare from Shizuka's kimono.

She followed her instincts, taking only enough to gain her bearings, careful to leave her Okaa-san only slightly weaker than before.

"Ichiru," Her mother beckoned, and Zero felt her brother settle down beside her, the mattress dipping under his weight as his arm wrapped around her and guided her to lay her head upon his lap, sensing her impending need for rest almost before she did

Zero fell asleep to the sound of soft pulls and a near groan of relief from her twin.


	12. Act Four: The Chariot, Chapter Two

When Zero came to, she felt her brother curling his fingers in her hair, playing with it like he used to when they were younger.

She cast out her senses without opening her eyes and sensed two familiar auras feet away, dazed and confused- Akatsuki Kain and Hanabusa Aido. Both seemed weak, and Zero opened one eye to see her mother lying on the chaise below the windows, licking her fingers of the cousins' blood, her kimono splotched with it.

Shizuka sent her a cat like grin.

She waved her hand over the lax cousins sprawled on the floor beneath her pureblooded command.

Zero sat up and Ichiru pouted beside her, his features somehow made even more perfect than they were before, the silver gone from his hair, replaced with an icy white, eyes more red-violet in shade than amethyst.

Zero glanced down at her waist length lockes to see her coloring identical to his own, her skin bare of the scars that had marked her hands and legs. She shrugged off her coat and scanned her arms where untouched starlit skin greeted her.

She smiled, stretching before slinging her booted feet off the king sized bed, standing with the aid of one of the four posters, quickly finding little use as her strength returned full force, quickly evolving past the level she had been familiar with, overwhelming her senses with the ease of which she had never before experienced.

She stretched a bit, Ichiru quickly getting up behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist possessively.

She smiled at him before flitting to Aido's side, kneeling beside him.

"What are you doing here, Idol-senpai?" She mocked lightly.

"You look a little hung out to dry." Ichiru tsked, "And here I thought Kuran kept careful watch of his circle…"

Her twin had the small blond Noble by the throat in a heartbeat, causing the aristocrat to break out into a sweat, his heart racing out of control as he began to get his bearings back.

 _The-they're pur-pureb-bloods._ Aido's voice balked and Zero grinned, righting herself.

"Come now, Aido. Where's your spark? Surely you don't think it's possible for some level-D to become a pureblood?"

Kain stumbled to his feet, but Zero poked him back to the floor where he landed on his ass once more. Both of the nobles were scared, though Kain was doing a much better job of hiding it than Aido.

Zero sighed, "What should we do with you two, I wonder?"

"Relax, Senpai…" Ichiru grinned, "We're not going to _kill_ you. If you don't fight it'll make taking blood much easier on all of our parts."

Aido shuddered, swallowing down the foolish statement that Zero was sure he was going to make.

Ichiru leaned closer and drew his nose over the blond's throat, nipping at his collar where blood had dried from where their mother had supped.

Shizuka stood, "Meet me on the roof when you're done, darlings."

Zero smiled as her mother lightly caressed her cheek as she passed them by.

The door ghosted shut soon after and with barely a care the twins struck the two cousins, not noticing the familiar aura approaching the old Dorm.


	13. Act Four: The Chariot, Chapter Three

The twins left the pair of coursin unconscious but steadily breathing on the bed of the bedchamber, Zero's clothes still neat and unstained while Ichiru's was the complete opposite, his grey coat blotched crimson, his jaw painted pink with smeared blood.

Ichiru gripped her hand tightly and she squeezed it in turn, her thoughts distant and her mind hazy- why didn't she care anymore? Why didn't she care about the pain she caused others? Why did she find herself looking down at others in contempt? Had she changed so much since her powers had begun to unleash?

She knew she should, but she didn't care.

All she wanted now was to taste blood on her lips while her darkness unleashed itself upon the idiots she had been forced to protect from one another as a prefect.

She could suppose that was one relief to be had- that she would no longer be forced to be a prefect and withhold her ire from the Day Class or the Night Class for that matter.

Ichiru chuckled, "No, no one will fault you when it comes to that, Nee-san. Not when rank is so much more important than strength of will."

He spun her in a circle as they walked down the hall to the stairs that led to the roof, "Lucky for me- you've never lacked either."

She smiled softly and leaned into his hold before casting out her senses with a wry frown.

"Yuki's here, I wonder why."

Yuki was with her mother on the roof when they came upon the pair, Yuki sitting beside Shizuka on a bench, the white haired pureblood playing with the brunette's short brown waves as the human girl blinked, as if dazed by the sheer weight of the Madly Blooming Princess' aura.

"Such a sweet little girl," Shizuka hummed as the twins settled themselves on the iron bench opposite their mother.

All of them could sense the approaching aura of the Kuran Prince, but no one moved to prepare, all Zero could find the desire to do was curl further into her taller twins arms, Ichiru rubbing circles on her arm, a cunning smirk making its way onto his face just like it had when they were children and training with Kaito under the gaze of Yagari.

Yagari had overlooked Kaito's mocking and bullying of the younger 'Kiryu' twin, but just because he was weak didn't mean he was stupid- Ichiru had learned from an early age how to wreak havoc on the minds and esteems of stronger children, knowing that though Zero wouldn't always be able to step in to protect him, he would at least win a battle of wills and prove himself superior in one way or another.

Zero smiled gently at the appearance of the familiar smirk- a piece of her twin she had come to love even if what it signaled would result in bruises and broken bones on both of their parts.

Yuki blinked her eyes when Shizuka withdrew her hand and stood, walking over to the edge of the roof to glance up at the full moon. The school hall was darkening just as the dawn seemed to begin its approach.

The door to the roof clicked shut, signaling Kuran's arrival to the scene.

Zero gripped Ichiru's coat tightly- the only sign of her apprehension. She was sure to keep a tight hold on her aura, quieting it- but Kaname would no doubt sense the change. She sent out her darkness, an invisible test of his own aura which flooded the air as if to dominate the space and irritate the Hio Princess.

Shizuka giggled behind a manicured hand, "Kaname-kun, we were just having a little reunion."

Kaname's power thickened in the air and Zero tensed lightly before forcing herself to relax- she had never feared him, and she wouldn't start now- not when they were on even footing.

Ichiru leaned back and crossed his legs, his aura relaxing like a cat bathing in the sunlight, his fingers toying with Zero's hair as they listened to the two older purebloods battle of wills.

Kaname was largely silent, only stepping forward to the pair of benches when Shizuka glided closer as well.

"You seem quiet, Kaname-kun, could it be that you didn't expect what now lies before you?"

Ichiru squeezed her hand before releasing her and glancing at Kuran as he approached to stand opposite Shizuka between the two benches- one occupied by the twins, the other by the petite brunette that Zero had always considered her competition.

Shizuka danced back and away from the benches with a hum, "It is so rare for a single pair of siblings to be reunited… I wonder when the Kurans will do the same, hmm?"

Kaname had knocked out Yuki with a single tap, taking her in his arms before the words of her mother struck her in full.

Yuki?

Yuki was a sealed pureblood? A Kuran Princess?

* * *

 ** _A/N: Alright, that is all for today! Questions for ya'll-_** _Is there anything you particularly want to happen in this story? Do you want Zero to end up with Kaname or Ichiru or perhaps another character? What do you hope for with the rest of the story? How do you want Yuki to act as a pureblood,if she survives that long that is. **Let me know below and remember to leave any other feelings, opinions, questions (under usernames so I can answer you via PM of course), predictions, or suggestions down below Thanks for reading! :)**_


	14. Act Four: The Chariot, Chapter Four

_**A/N: Sorry the chapters are late today- I had to get out of the house for the day. Today two chapters will be posted, the last chapter in Act Four and the first chapter in Act Five. I am halfway done with the second chapter of Act Five, but it will not be posted till it is completed and I have built up an outline for the next dozen+ chapters. IF YOU WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN SOON, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS IN THE REVIEWS/COMMENTS. I can't guarentee everything you want will be included, but I hope to add as much as I can from what ya'll suggest. If you uncomfortable with writing it in the comments/reviews, please feel free to send me a PM. Thank you so much for your patience, I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

He hadn't glanced at her- had not breathed a word to either of the Hio heirs and the night had closed rather uneventfully and Zero was glad of it. She had no doubt the tension between her mother and Kaname would have resulted in bloodshed and even though her mother was strong, she hadn't been at her best after awakening Zero and Ichiru.

It had probably been there presence that had prevented it from escalating further and Zero had sighed with relief when Kaname had simply taken the unconscious Yuki- his _sister_ \- away.

But still, anxiety yet raced through her veins even hours afterward when she laid herself down to sleep in her bed chamber in the old Dorms that her twin had thoughtfully prepared.

Her racing thoughts forced her from bed mid afternoon and she found herself in the small parlour on the first floor, a warm fire blazing in the hearth, her hands clutching a book she had found laying abandoned in the old library.

She was the only one awake when a knock came at the door to the old Dorms and so she threw on her oversized sweater over her floor length silk nightgown and greeted her adopted father- a rare look of surprise over his usually cheerful facade when she revealed herself.

"Zeroine!"

She stepped aside and he followed her back to the parlour where they both sat silently for a few moments.

"Kaname-kun told me a bit of what happened," Kaien said, "Tell me, Zero…. How did this come to be?"

She blew out a breath.

"The Kiryu's never knew- if that's what you're asking. My… father, placed us with them as infants- he spelled our looks, made us hunters- made the Kiryu's think we were their children."

Zero bit her lip loosely, "Okaa-san hadn't known, as she had entangled herself with a turned human and had been imprisoned shortly after… But when Ichiru found her under the sakura tree in the school yard after she had been unleashed- she immediately recognized him, and of course- we had always known the truth so we met in the forest after school one day and after a little convincing by Ichiru, we met several times after that. Okaa-san was incensed when we told her about the Kiryu's killing her chosen mate- she demanded retribution, and we had long since found out someone else had formulated plans around the two of us- it was from then that we separated, Ichiru going off with Okaa-san while I was to go to the H.A. supposedly. Of course, it was surprising when Yagari-sensei gave me to you- that we never saw coming…"

Zero trailed off, but Kaien didn't seem the least bit perturbed at his unwitting role in her life.

They were silent except for the crackle of the fire until Kaien stood and promptly tackled the teenaged pureblood in a hug where she sat on the couch. She sunk into the affection like she had only a few select times before, sensing Ichiru draw himself to the parlour from the second floor steps.

He entered without knocking and plopped down on the couch as well, "Hugs?!" He cried, "I love hugs! Zero-nee, I need a hug too!"

She smiled and Ichiru yelped when the fangless vampire swept him up too. Her twin was content- a bit surprised at the display of affection- and Zero had always felt safe in her adoptive father's arms- safer than her true father's at least.

* * *

Hours later the twins are dressed and seated in Kaien's office- Zero would be moving to the Night Class, her mother's decision had surprised her immensely and though she was not scared of facing aggravated Nobles, she was certainly apprehensive at being in the same class as Kaname.

Ichiru was excited too, which made her a tad nervous to say the least.

She knew Kaname was on his way to the office as well- could sense him approaching on the path that led to the main building where the office lay on the third floor.

Ichiru sat beside her in a chair, holding her hand and drawing designs in a soothing rhythm on the back of her palm.

He arrived soon after and Kaien wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Kaname-kun, as per school policy, I am moving Zero-chan and Ichiru-kun to the Night Class."

Kaname nodded.

Kaien moved on, "Zero and Ichiru will be moved into the main Night Dorms as soon as possible."

Zero blanched whereas Ichiru grinned at the development- she had not been told that they would be moving to the main dorm.

Kaname disagreed, which both calmed her and also ignited a fire of irritation- _what do you mean, no?!_

"I must disagree, Cross-san. Kir-Zero has made quite the impression on the Night Class- she would have a tough time living surrounded by people who detest her."

Zero pouted at his back and Ichiru snorted, "Kuran-san, is that not merely life as a pureblood? This school is at least a controlled environment, it could prove beneficial to learn just how our supposed enemies will respond to us."

He loped himself in with her, but Zero knew it was for her benefit- everyone knew it was her that pissed everyone off- Ichiru was the charming Hio heir- she was far too prone to explosive outbursts to ever be considered 'charming'.

Kaname's aura spoke of his irritation- unnoticeable to anyone else, Zero could spot it like a beacon in the night- she knew his aura like the back of her hand. He didn't want her in the Night Dorms, that was clear.

Why, though?

Zero said nothing, keeping silent as her brother and her… lover sorted out the details.

Ichiru had formed a solid argument for it, though, and Kaname would be hard pressed to refuse. Instead he finally glanced her way, but only briefly.

How she longed to know what he was thinking- could it be possible she seemed even more revolting to his senses now than she had been before?

He nodded Kaien's way, before turning back to Ichiru, "You'll have to share a room till your separate rooms are prepared."

Ichiru smirked, "We'll be on our best behavior, Kuran-san, I _promise_."

He crossed a finger over his heart.

Kaname nodded, "Then report to the Dorms tomorrow night with your things."

He nodded to Cross before leaving without acknowledging her outside of that far too brief glance.

Kaien beamed at the pair of siblings, "I'll have your uniforms prepared by Monday night."


	15. Act Five: High Priestess, Chapter One

The twins had settled into a pleasant routine at the Night Dorms and Zero had been surprised by the handful of Nobles who had attempted to make nice with them, given the Ichiru never left her side for the most part.

Part of her thought the Nobles had been trying to worm their way into Ichiru's trust, but there were two who seemed like they approached them with Zero in mind.

Koyasu Misa, a black haired female with tiger's eyes who stood just an inch shorter than Zero, and Shintanu Hide- a pleasant copper headed Noble with relational ties to the Hio family via his grandfather.

Shizuka had warned her off of Koyasu- apparantly the family had been dead set on rising up in the ranks of society and getting cozy with the Council, but she had supported Shintanu- apparantly the family had proven themselves loyal on multiple occasions.

Ichiru had taken to toying with Koyasu- convinced she was trouble, her twin didn't want her near Zero and after a few days Koyasu had disappeared, leaving the Academy for the rest of the year.

Zero hadn't needed to ask to know that Ichiru had been the cause.

Hide had been warned as well by the younger twin, but the Shintanu heir hadn't been perturbed and thereby garnered a place at the twins side, playing the role of supporter- but neither Zero nor Ichiru would ever trust him fully- their mother had trained them better than that after all.

A few other faces came and went- Matsutoya (both siblings- they were too power-hungry in Zero's opinion), the Go cousins, the Sekino heiress, as well as the Kumagei cousins.

But a few others had managed to stick to the Hio's sides- Hattori Aeko, a petite blonde who always knew what was going on despite her lack of clear to see connections, Esumi Suzu, who was heir to the Esumi motor company which was a front for a vampire owned blood pill factory, and Nii Kinji, a quiet brown haired male- his family was new money and foreign born but they were tied most to the Kurenai's and the male happened to be engaged to Maira since birth. Maria had been taken back as well, and the twins regularly fed her some of their blood to keep her stronger.

Zero ghosted through her classes as easily as she had while in the Day Class, and Ichiru didn't lag either so the two were often left to twaddle their thumbs during classes, even under Yagari's watchful eye, which had turned sharper on them than ever before.

Their mother left the Academy as the snow truly began to descend in favor of her favorite hideaway and the twins were both unsupervised for the first time in years- which didn't signal bad behavior on Zero's part, but most definitely her brother's.

Zero didn't bother to rein him in more than once or twice and so Ichiru had taken to picking at Kaname like the brunet was a caged lion.

No, Zero was much too caught up in her own thoughts as the night passed uneventfully and Kaname didn't once glance her way as far as she knew.

In fact, it wasn't until the twins were called to his office that she felt like more than just a fly on the wall before him.

They sat down before the fire, Zero on the couch between the two males while her brother sat opposite Kaname in a chair. "There is a representative coming from the Council- Asato."

Ichiru snorted "Ichijo's grandfather?"

Zero cast her gaze to her brother, "He virtually leads the Council, Ichiru. Have care."

Ichiru shrugged, "Why? We all know he's just a puppet."

Zero felt Kaname glance at her, his aura focused on her for a moment and her darkness yearned to reach out and caress it like a rose bud.

 _Please say something._

Ichiru glanced at Kaname, "We all know who is really in control, don't we Kuran-san?"

"How much do you think you know, Ichiru-kun?"

"More than I'm sure you'd want me to know, such as how you planned to kill our mother and use me as a pawn to awaken your uncle and eventually lead to me dying by my sister's hand- oh, too bad that's gone astray what with the truth coming to light."

Zero's eyes flashed to Kaname, her shock apparent to the males in the room.

 _A pawn? We were both his pawns?!_

The lights abandoned the room and it all fell into darkness, the hardwoods below her feet freezing over with frost.

Ichiru laughed and headed for the door, tossing his last words over to Kaname, "Imma leave you to figure out how toying with women can be a very bad thing, Kuran-san. Have fun you two!"

The door slammed shut and Zero pounced.

* * *

 _ **A/N: There it is, that is basically all I have completed of this story so far, I look forward to reading ya'll's reactions and I can't wait to hear if you have any suggestions or feelings toward what is already completed. This story will be going on, but only after I have outlined the next dozenish chapters and have gotten back into writing mode for this story. Thank you SO much for reading, I hope you have enjoyed what's up. :)**_


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